ContinentalGatorskin 700c Road Tire (Wire Bead)(Return to Product Page)

I had 6 flats this summer season before getting the gator skins, rough roads and bad luck I guess. After I got the gator skins I was road without problem until one day on a 14 mile ride. About half way through I heard a ching, ching, ching on my front tire. I stopped and here was a piece of wire maybe 9 inches long stuck in my front tire (not from inside the tire). I pulled it out and kept riding. It turned out to be a slow leak. I got home with some pumping up and changed the tube the next day. Before the gatorskins the flat would have been immediate. These are great tires, but not made of steel, they can puncture, but they are tough. I recommend them.

Look forward to the sale of Gatorskins since its my go to tire. Good looking dependable tire.

I put these tires on a 1986 Nishiki Olympic that I restored. The rear lasted 6, 411 miles. This is the longest lasting tire I have ever used, and I have been cycling continuously since 1991. The outer rubber surface of the tire looked pretty beat up with many shallow cracks and a few very small holes that did not penetrate the fabric underneath.

I weigh 145 lbs (plus 5 to 10 lbs for my backpack) and bike mostly on rural roads covered with chip seal in the high desert. Most roads have lots of cracks, and a few have surfaces like a washboard. I bicycle 20 miles, sometimes more, every other day. About 1% of my riding is also on gravel. Furthermore the front tire is still on the bike and looks very good (no cracks or holes). It handles well with over 9,000 miles on it. Wow!

I also haven't had any flats yet with these tires. My secret? I put a tire liner and a thorn resistant tube in each 700 x 25 tire and pump it up to about 90 lbs. Sometimes thorns make it through tire liner, but they never completely penetrate the tube. I always use short presta valves, and so far I haven't had any ruptures in the tube around the air valve (this is a danger when using thorn resistant tubes with presta valves).

Yes, it is more difficult and time consuming to stuff all this inside a tire, and it makes for more cycling weight, but I am in my seventies and had a back injury many years ago, so I don't like fixing flats on the side of the road. Instead I go slower and enjoy myself.

Please be informed that this set up can't guarantee no flats. Maybe I've just been lucky.

I ride about 300 miles a week on the Chief LadigaSilver Comet trails, and these tires have never let me down. Our Alabama side of the trail is terrible with rises caused by tree roots and cause awful bumps, which the Gatorskins seem to eat up without a flat. I wish I could say that for the old body. I've tried Armadillo tires and the ware is way too fast for the price. I recommend Gatorskins to all I meet on the trail, and my friends.

Overall, a good tire

Like to use Gatorskins for late Fall, Winter, and early Sprint training due to their incredible puncture resistance. I find them a little too heavy for my faster riding during the Summer. But definitely a great tire.

Good traction and overall performance but the front tire could not withstand the intense conditions of NYC roads with a punctured hole. The gash was taped up and two more of the same tire were purchased with the intention of replacing the tire(s) once they stopped being useful. However, both original tires oare still being used.

These tires are great for commuting. I never get flats. They grip well to the road and are light weight.

I used to get flat tires all of the time. Goat heads were my enemy. Once I started using Gatorskins

that all stopped. The tires last a good long time and are really tough. If I get any flats now it is usually because

my tube is so old. I have to remember to change tubes more often.

Great grip and great ride for sure. I use them for mostly touring on my road bike.

I hate flats - they ruin my day. I've been buying Gatorskins for years - they are a bit heavy and sometimes a pain to get on the rim but I've never had a flat while using them. I use mostly the wire bead model in a 28mm size and usually get 2000 miles out of a set. I also have used the Specialized Armadillo and the Schwalbe Marathon - both with very similar characteristics as the Gatorskins - but usually a little more pricey.

Amazing deal on Biketiresdirect. Gatorskins are awesome for all the broken glass and debris that fill NYC roads. They're not performance race tires, but they give you the peace of mind. I've ridden countless miles on Gatorskins, never having gotten a flat. One caveat - and literally the only reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5, is that they are TOUGH to get on the very first time. It took awhile for me to determine best way to not cramp up my hands trying to get the tire over the rim. Over time, taking them onoff becomes much easier.

I use this tire solely on paved roads. What I really appreciate about this tire is it's resistance to road hazards. It is tough as nails and gives me peace of mind so I can just enjoy the ride and not worry about anything that might go wrong. Highly recommended.

Bought these to help avoid flats...I check air before every ride and check my tires for bits of glass or thorns after every ride, and I'm sure those habits help. Been on tons of group rides where others have flats shortly after we roll through sketchy areas, but not me, not once! Very happy with these tires. Two sets of 23mm, third set 25mm and I do feel a bit more paddingcush on bumps.

best tire out there...i have them on all 3 bikes! great in all kinds of year round weather in colorado.long mileage wear from them, tough, reflective,great traction, quiet, excellent value!!!

Have yet to puncture any of my Gatorskin tires while cycling bad roads in CA and the better but still occasionally bad roads in Europe. Excellent value for the money.

I get a full season out of the rear tire. maybe two out of the front. I put on about 2000 miles per year. To be fair, I often neglect to trade them out when I put the bike on an indoor trainer thru the winter.

I live in an area where there is flint in the salt that they spread. I can't ride with out tire liners in the tires and I have to check the tires for embedded pieces of flint at least once a week. These tires provide me with some protection but after a year of riding there are cuts and areas that are completely gone. I try to ride 22 miles a day when the weather allows down from the 33 miles I used to ride before my heart attack. I ride at night when the weather warms up and a flat tire would not be a happy thing at 3 am. I've come to rely on these tires which allow me to change them with a tire liner inside. Not an easy change but not as difficult as some of the other tires that claim to be puncture proof. A good product at a decent price, what more could you ask for?

I replace my bicycle tires with the continental Gator skins 700 tr. Tires and the made a big difference.

Don't remember how many miles but they last for years

They still look great and no flats.